Friday, February 8, 2013

Chocolate and Blueberry Starter Cake

I do not do desserts.....only on rare and celebratory occasions like this weekend and our 6th wedding anniversary.   I got this recipe from Caleb Warnock's and Melissa Richardson's new book, "The Art of Baking with Natural Yeast" which is a great book .   I modified their recipe a little bit like I always do, and it turned out wonderful.  My modifications  included some coconut oil in the batter, more salt than was called for, some dried cherries cut up also in the soaking batter and some walnuts in the final batter.   Will probably do this one again in a few months.   It's easy if you have a natural yeast starter.  Natural starter or yeast is marvelous for so many reasons but it is not quick.  Baking bread or cakes or  should not be quick...if it is then you are short changing nutrition and bio-availability of nutrients.

Sponge Ingredients  (night before or morning of)
1 cup natural yeast starter
1 cup water or whey or kefir or milk
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
6 TBS cocoa powder (very important for this to soak)
1/2 tsp Real Salt
optional;   some dried blueberries or other fruit and some walnuts
Mix all this together and cover with plastic and allow to set
at room temperature overnight at least 8 hours or more.

Final Batter Ingredients
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups sugar,  natural sugar like sucanat
1/2 cup blueberries frozen or fresh
2 TBS coconut oil melted or softened
Combine all of this in a blender or food processor and then
mix with the soaked sponge mixture.
Add 1/1/2  tsp baking powder  which will neutralize any sour
taste and puff up the batter.  Pour into greased baking dishes
2 regular size or a 9x13.  Bake at 350  for 30 minutes until tooth
pick comes out of center clean.  Serve with ice cream or just cream
 and more blueberries.  

Quick and easy frosting can be made with 1/2 cup heavy whipping
cream warmed up enough to melt 1/3 -1/2 cup chocolate pieces.